Lyttle Smart Homes become a Loxone Gold Partner
We are very excited to announce that Lyttle Smart Homes is now a Loxone Gold Partner. We sent Company Owner Peter Lyttle over a few questions to find out some more about their journey to gold. Here’s what he had to say:
Could you start by telling us about your background and what led you to become interested in home & building automation?
I first worked in retail and then as a Maintenance Engineer for 12 years and have always had a keen interest in technology. After being made redundant from Michelin, I retrained as a Home Automation Engineer and have been building my business now for over five years.
What made you decide to become a Loxone Partner?
As part of being made redundant, I had searched for training opportunities that would suit me and my interests. I travelled to Reading for a Loxone Training Course which I really enjoyed. I felt Loxone was very interesting and an all-round package compared to the DIY products. I knew I wanted a system that was robust and capable of any task my clients may want, I also wanted a system that wouldn’t go out of date and would be easily upgradable. Becoming a Loxone Partner suits my business perfectly.
Meet the team
Peter Lyttle
Owner
I am responsible for taking the customers ideas, creating plans, and installing the systems that are tailored specifically to them. I enjoy seeing the project from the first call through to the finished system. I worked with Building Management Systems for 2 years while running Lyttle Smart Homes part-time alone, before going full time to Smart Control in 2020.
Carrie Patterson
Marketing Manager
I have recently started working for Lyttle Smart Homes taking on the marketing roles to help promote and expand the business. I have a degree in Creative Computing and I would love to move to a more hands-on position in the company eventually.
Emma Montgomery
Administrator
I recently took on the role of Administrator for Lyttle Smart Homes LTD, I am excited for this new opportunity and I’m thrilled to be in a job that I have always worked towards. I have joined at a very exciting time for Lyttle Smart Homes and I am pleased to be part of it and can’t wait to see where the future takes us all.
Tiernan
Apprentice
I have started working for Lyttle Smart Homes for the last 4 weeks and will be working over the summer until September when I intend to start an apprenticeship. This is an exciting role and I am already enjoying the work I am doing so far.
What has your dedicated journey to Gold involved?
My journey to Gold Partner has involved lots of projects, selling the customer exactly the right solutions for their projects. This has helped me earn a good reputation and allowed me to gain additional work through word of mouth.
What has been your biggest/favourite project (with Loxone)? What challenges have you faced?
My largest Loxone Air project so far has been Nissan Headquarters Dublin. It included 60 IOs, 3 Air Bases, 1 Miniserver Gen.2 and 83 Motion Sensors. This was a project born out of necessity to reduce energy costs. It was created to turn off all lighting in a three-storey building, with the MD being able to set his alarm at night and the whole building switching off after 20 seconds. Due to using Air technology this work was completed relatively quickly; 3 days with 3 people including all programming and testing.
My favourite project was a small coffee and Bunkhouse completed in Carnlough. This project was very enjoyable and I worked closely with the clients to give them a small but powerful system within a budget. They are utilizing Tree technology with a small amount of Air – their system used 1 Miniserver Gen.2, 2x Dimmer Extensions, 5 Motion Sensors, Alarm Siren Tree and some Valve Actuator Airs and this gives full control of the building to the client with push notifications for a fire alarm activation also.
What has been your biggest/favourite project (with Loxone)? What challenges have you faced?
My largest Loxone Air project so far has been Nissan Headquarters Dublin. It included 60 IOs, 3 Air Bases, 1 Miniserver Gen.2 and 83 Motion Sensors. This was a project born out of necessity to reduce energy costs. It was created to turn off all lighting in a three-storey building, with the MD being able to set his alarm at night and the whole building switching off after 20 seconds. Due to using air technology this work was completed relatively quickly; 3 days with 3 people including all programming and testing.
My favourite project was a small coffee and Bunkhouse completed in Carnlough. This project was very enjoyable and I worked closely with the clients to give them a small but powerful system within a budget. They are utilizing Tree technology with a small amount of Air – their system used 1 Miniserver Gen.2, 2x Dimmer Extensions, 5 Motion Sensors, Alarm Siren Tree and some Valve Actuator Airs and this gives full control of the building to the client with push notifications for a fire alarm activation also.
How have your customers benefited from Loxone technology?
They have a simple system for them to use. They feel like they have benefited from the outcome of the project as they are happy to recommend me to other people they know.
How have your customers benefited from Loxone technology?
They have a simple system for them to use. They feel like they have benefited from the outcome of the project as they are happy to recommend me to other people they know.
What makes your company different and what are your unique selling points?
I feel my company is different because I focus on customer specification completely rather than selling products I want to sell. Every project is individual and specific to that customer. I also really enjoy making everything easy for the customer from the start of the project planning right through to the use of the system.
What are the go-to features customers ask for when it comes to home automation?
Most customers ask for lighting, heating and security. However, most recently I have had an increase in requests for audio projects since the new Audioservers have been released.
What would be your ultimate home automation project?
My ultimate project would be a complete hotel. Being able to use the Building Management Systems side from very beginning to end using Loxone Products.
How would you encourage other Partners to reach for Gold?
I would encourage other Partners to be completely honest. They should give the customers exactly what they want and need. Don’t just sell the product, sell the solution!
In your opinion, where will the smart home industry be, in the UK, in 2025?
I think the way home automation is going currently, customers are becoming more savvy and are not willing to take on Partners that they are not comfortable with. This has been beneficial for me because my customers trust that they will get the solution they want. By 2025 I think customers will no longer accept Smart Home Integrators who are not willing or capable of supplying the solutions they would like or need.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone thinking of having Loxone installed, what would it be?
My advice would be to do research and pick the team that are able to provide the correct solution. Choosing a team you are most comfortable with will, in the end, provide you with the best finished product. If you speak to the team early, the project will definitely go smoother and they can make sure cables etc. are in when and where they are supposed to be.
Working with Loxone for the past 5 years has been very rewarding. I really like how Loxone produces multiple new products every year. It gives me the confidence that Loxone is the best solution for my customers in the long term.
